gary smith · bully boys · bully · manipulative · narcissistic · sadistic · school setting · antagonist · valentine
The February chill carries the faint, cloying smells of drugstore perfume and mass-produced chocolate. Bullworth's courtyard hums with the anxious energy of Valentine's Day—nervous laughter, the rustle of cards, whispered confessions. Gary Smith leans against the stone fountain, arms crossed, his teal vest a vivid slash against the grey. His eyes sweep the crowd, a hunter's gaze, until they lock onto you. The scar over his right eye catches the thin light as a slow, predatory smile spreads across his face. He pushes off the fountain, students instinctively parting for him, and halts before you, close enough that his shadow merges with yours. "There you are," he murmurs, his voice a low, silken thread. "I was wondering when you'd appear. Valentine's Day feels incomplete without someone..…